Blades (Oblivion)
The Blades are a powerful group of elite spies and commandos in the service of the Emperor of Tamriel. The Blades were created by Tiber Septim, the first Septim Emperor, and are led by a Grandmaster. The Blades were initially founded as an elite shockforce regiment, used to perfection in during the Battle of Sancre Tor. After Cuhlecain's death, Tiber Septim became Emperor and the Blades became his bodyguards, and they have served the Emperors of Tamriel since. The Blades fought in several wars throughout history, most notably the Oblivion and Vvardenfell Crisises. They have secret branches across Tamriel, gathering intelligence on the Emperor's enemies. They are fiercely loyal to the Emperor himself and the Elder Council hold no power over them. The Blades also serve in a public light as the Emperor's bodyguards. History Battle of Sancre Tor In 2E 852, allied Nord and Breton forces crossed the borders into Cyrodiil and occupied the major passes and settlements in the Jerall Mountains. Making their headquarters for the winter at Sancre Tor, the Nord-Breton allies dared King Cuhlecain's new general, Talos, to assault them in their mountain fastnesses. When they learned that General Talos had mustered an army in the dead of winter and was marching to assault Sancre Tor, they were elated. Sancre Tor was impregnable, its citadel on high cliffs overlooking the lower city, nestled in a high mountain basin with steep, unscalable cliffs in their rear. The Cyrodilic army was small, poorly trained and outfitted, short on rations, and unprepared for winter campaigning. As their ragged units assembled in the lowlands beneath the citadel, the Nord-Breton allies confidently assumed that their enemy had delivered himself into their trap. The citadel was not only protected by an unscalable cliff in front and unscalable heights in their rear, but the entrance to the citadel was magically concealed under the appearance of a large mountain lake in the basin beneath the heights. Accordingly, the Nord-Breton allies left on a small force to defend the citadel, descending through lower passages to attack and overwhelm the cold, hungry Cyrodilic forces before them. They expected to defeat, overrun, and annihilate General Talos' army, leaving no one to oppose their springtime descent into the Cyrodilic Heartlands. Leaving a weak force in the lowlands to draw out the defenders, General Talos approached the citadel of Sancre Tor from the rear, descending the supposedly unscalable heights behind the citadel, and sneaking into the magically concealed entrance to the inner citadel. This remarkable feat is attributed to a Breton turncoat sorcerer, who revealed both the existence of an obscure mountain trail down the heights behind the citadel and the secret of the citadel entrance concealed beneath its illusory lake surface. While the Cyrodilic army in the lowlands fought a desperate defense against the Nord-Breton sortie, General Talos and the Blades entered the citadel, swept aside the sparse defense, captured the Nord-Breton nobles and generals, and compelled them to surrender the citadel and their armies. The confused and demoralized Nord captives, deserted the alliance and swore loyalty to Tiber Septim. The High Rock generals were executed and the captive Bretons imprisoned or sold into slavery. Vvardenfell Crisis During the Vvardenfell Crisis the Blades played a crucial role in the downfall of Dagoth Ur. The Nerevarine's first action upon landing at the docks of Seyda Neen was to report to a man named Caius Cosades in the city of Balmora. As it turns out, Caius was the provinicial leader of the Blades in Morrowind and invited the Nerevarine to join the Blades at the request of the Emperor. Thus, the Nerevarine joined the Blades, and began to investigate Dagoth Ur. During the Vvardenfell Crisis, Emperor Uriel Septim VII tasked them with learning more about the Nerevarine legends, as the Emperor believes the prophecies and sees a useful ally in the Nerevarine. The Nerevarine's ultimate mission with Blades in Morrowind was to fulfill the Nerevarine prophecies, mostly to ensure the loyalty of the Morrowind province to the Septim Empire. Oblivion Crisis During the Oblivion Crisis, the Blades played an important role in the defeat of Mehrunes Dagon, the daedric prince of destruction, after the death of the Emperor. Bendu Olo after recieving the Amulet of Kings from Emperor Uriel Septim VII took it to Jauffre, the Grandmaster of the Blades, and was subsequently sent to find and rescue the last heir to the throne, Martin Septim, and later the Amulet of Kings after the Mythic Dawn stole it from Weynon Priory. Artifacts The Blades have acquired several artifacts over their long history. Many of them are still known, but many more are kept in their secretive, but impenetrable fortress, Cloud Ruler Temple, in the Jerall Mountains north of Bruma. *Armor of Tiber Septim: The Armor of Tiber Septim himself. After his victory at Sancre Tor, Tiber Septim made a present of his bloody gear to the Blades. The Blades built a shrine around the cuirass deep in the catacombs of Sancre Tor. And in the years that followed, the location became a pilgrimage site for the Blades. Then the Underking settled in Sancre Tor. It claimed the four mightiest Blades of Tiber Septim's time, Alain, Vlademar, Rielus, and Casnar, and it had been centuries since a visitor had returned from the shrine until the Oblivion Crisis. *Dagger of Sparks: A weapon from a Blade that perished at the Battle of Sancre Tor, and was later stored in the catacombs. *Amulet of the Ansei: An enchanted amulet that belonged to the famous Blade, Rielus. It was a gift to him from Tiber Septim. *Mishaxhi's Cleaver: An enchanted Akaviri dai-katana that disintegrate's armor. It was a gift to Casnar from Tiber Septim. It once belonged to the Great Akaviri Commander Mishaxhi. *Valdemar's Shield: An enchanted Blades shield that was a gift to Valdemar from Tiber Septim. *Northwind: An enchanted Akaviri katana with a frost enchantment. It was a gift from Tiber Septim to Alain. Behind the Scenes *In Arena the Blades were orignially supposed to have been a team from Dune, Elsweyr, but as the plot and storyline progressed Bethesda decided to change them instead to their role as the Emperor's bodygaurds. Appearances *''The Elder Scrolls: Arena'' (First Appearance) *''The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall'' (Second Appearance) *''The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind'' (Third Appearance) *''The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion'' (Fourth Appearance)